


No. 2

by No_One_00



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Light Angst, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:40:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28713699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/No_One_00/pseuds/No_One_00
Summary: You love someone, who's in love with another, who loves him back, yet doesn't treasure him as much as another.It's a chain, strong, and yet it's breakable.Will you take your chance? Or let things be and see them to their natural ends?
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Huang Ren Jun/Mark Lee, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Liu Yang Yang, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

_Present day_

"Wanna come over to go through my notes?"

It was a sudden invitation, yes, but Mark just couldn’t handle how sad Renjun looked. Everyone in their friend group knows why Renjun’s been like this.

Jeno’s already went ahead of them, quickly exiting after whispering something to Renjun’s ear and the latter smiled at the former then. But he could fool no one with it. Well, except his boyfriend it seems.

Renjun looks at him like he’s suspicious of the offer, but after a few breaths he replies, "Yeah...will you offer me dinner?"

Mark smiles at the boy then.

**Renjun:** _I'm at Mark hyung's...in case you came over. Good night._

**Jeno:** _Yeah, good night Junnie. Pick you up tomorrow?_

**Renjun:** _No its fine. I'll just catch the bus again tomorrow. Please remind Jaemin that I'll need him early for our group report._

**Jeno:** _Got it. See you tomorrow, then?_

**Renjun:** _Okay._

"Okay?" Jeno exclaims, confused by the short reply from his boyfriend.

Jaemin, who overheard him as he was returning with two cups of whatever drink there was available, asks, "What is it?"

"Nothing...just, Renjun's being weird"

"Mhmm," Jaemin replies noncommittally. He hands Jeno the drink, which the latter accepts.

"Ah, he also needs you early in class tomorrow for a report?"

"...crap. I totally forgot about that!"

"Then shouldn't you be doing that instead of being at this party?"

"Yeah"

"Should we go?"

Jeno puts down his glass, all ready to leave, thinking of heading to Mark’s so he could see Renjun but they’re interrupted by the party’s host.

"Jeno!"

"Oh Yuta hyung, we were just leaving"

"What? But the party's just getting started!"

"Yeah, but Jaemin here needs to do a thing for his class"

Jaemin just shrugs, implying he’s fine either way and this lights Yuta up. Jeno is pulled towards another part of the house, where more people they’re familiar with are and he resigns himself to staying at the party.

Mark knows he should be studying but he can’t help but look towards his friend. He’s always worried for Renjun. The boys isn’t really fond of opening up to others and Mark can just see what this does to him. He always notices it. He notices everything when it comes to Renjun.

See, Mark likes Renjun.

When he transferred to their current school in their sophomore year (his supposed senior year), he met the rambunctious group of Haechan, Jaemin and Yangyang. They were in the class he was placed in. They hit it off with him as he found them funny and quite likeable.

By lunchtime, he was introduced to two other friends in the group. Jeno and Renjun. Haechan whispered to him some gossip immediately then, as the two newcomers lined up for lunch.

Jeno was courting Renjun.

Somehow, this disappointed Mark as he was quite attracted to the latter as they were introduced. But he found it okay, then, as he was just new to the environment and it was his first day.

_High School_

Days turned to weeks and then two months later, Mark made conclusions. Jeno and Renjun were in a relationship (established a week after Mark’s arrival). They were a cute couple. Jeno, the soccer star and Renjun, the whiz student.

And yet, it was more complicated than that. Earlier on, Mark had noticed that Jeno and Jaemin were closer among their group (which by now Mark was already assimilated into). He asked this once of Haechan and Yangyang when it was just them at the library.

“They’re best friends,” supplied Yangyang.

Haechan though, seemed like he was onto something.

“They’re exes, too,” the boy whispered.

This earned him a slap to the shoulder from Yangyang. “You know we don’t talk about that!”

Mark interrupts then, “Why not?”

Yangyang eyes Haechan judgingly, the latter taking it as his cue to explain further.

“This is a secret, okay? Renjunnie knows nothing of this.”

Mark nods conspiratorially.

Haechan continues, “It all began with the forg – ”

“Be serious you little shit!”

“Bony asshole,” murmurs Haechan as he rubs the side of his head Yangyang just slammed with a book. “Okay, so, the first half of freshman year, we always thought Jeno and Jaemin had something going on, you know? But they kept it between themselves. I only found out because Yang’s a pervert who reads through others’ phones.” He side-eyes the said boy, wary of any oncoming strike.

“But the two of us, who’re closer to Renjun, by the way, know that our boy’s been like, infatuated with Jeno since middle school and we didn’t want to hurt him and break the group so we kept it secret too. It helps that Renjun’s oblivious as fuck.”

“So yeah, then in the middle of freshman year, Nomin, that’s Jeno and Jaemin, their ship sank? Somehow? But like, they stayed friends, but not as close? You get me right?”

Mark nods, though he’s finding it hard to catch up.

This time Yangyang continues, “We suspect it was Jaemin who didn’t want the shipping because he was the one who seemed better off in that week they sank. Jeno just, like, accepted it? Kinda?”

“And that’s where the story gets complicated, because then, Jeno attached himself to Renjun, which flustered Renjun – ”

“And troubled us,” Haechan exclaims a bit loudly, earning them some stares from nearby tables. “See, we wanted to warn Renjun but he seemed so…happy? And we figured, if Nomin was no more, then why can’t we just be onboard SS Noren, right?”

“Wrong!” interjects Yangyang, “because then later, we figured Jeno was doing it to move on, yeah? Like, he’s using Renjun as a rebound.”

“So we confronted him.”

“And he stopped.”

“But then summer happened.”

“And this time, Jeno was so sure.”

“That he liked Renjun now.”

“And so the courting began.”

“And here we are.”

First, Mark thought it was too much information. Second, wow these two were so in sync. And third,

“Wait, why not let Renjun know if it’s okay now?”

Two pairs of eyes glare at him so judgmentally he physically flinches.

Together, the two say, “You don’t know Renjun.”

As Mark walks home, he thinks it over and they were right. He doesn’t know Renjun. Sure they talk, they’re friends. But Mark has never been able to pinpoint whatever the boy’s thinking was. Renjun was fun, he jokes and has witty comebacks.

Yet there were moments when the other seemed so far away. Like there were things he kept thinking about…things he kept to himself.

But life went on for them. Mark kept the gossip to himself, and their group dynamics remained the same.

Mark was cutting through the park one day, in their senior year, on an errand, when he spots Renjun sat under one big tree. The boy had a sketchpad and an arrays of pens next to him, but he wasn’t sketching. He had his head on his arms as they were crossed atop his folded knees.

Mark approached him, thinking the boy was sleeping, but as he neared the other, he heard some sniffling.

Was Renjun sick? It was a warm day and the boys seemed dressed correctly.

“Renjunnie?”

At this the said boy froze and slowly, rubbed his arms on his face.

Slowly, the boy looked up towards Mark and what Mark saw was something he hadn’t before.

Renjun’s pretty face had streaks of tear stains, like he’d been crying a while already. Mark hustled to offer the boy a handkerchief but he had none, so he did the next best thing he thought of.

Mark took off the basketball jersey he was wearing, first thinking of offering it to Renjun, but figuring it’d be too rough, he took off his white cotton shirt instead and rubbed Renjun’s face with it.

Renjun didn’t stop him, instead new tears started forming on his eyes as the boy cried once again.

Mark heard some whispering nearby and looked behind him to see some girls whispering to each other while glancing at them. At this Mark realized his state and quickly, he put on the jersey.

Ignoring the girls, who’d passed by already, Mark sat next to Renjun.

He waited until the boy stopped crying, rubbing soothing circles in the boy’s back, up to his hair and back down.

Mark had never seen Renjun so vulnerable. This was the same boy who’d quickly shut him down when the group were joking around, the same boy who debates in class like winning was everything.

And yet here he was.

See, Renjun knew about everything, Mark learns later. Renjun is sensitive, he notices things, and he knew Jeno was at first just using him.

But that summer, Renjun couldn’t hold back, too. So he fell more for Jeno, the one he’d been crushing on for years. To Jeno’s credit he was truly sincere.

Jeno loved Renjun. Renjun loved Jeno.

And Renjun wanted it to be just that.

But he understood Jeno loved Jaemin, too. That somehow, somewhere in Jeno’s heart, Jaemin still had room as more than a friend.

Renjun tells Mark this a few weeks after that day at the park. They became closer after that, you see.

Renjun accepted that Jeno still had feelings for Jaemin because he thought, in the end, it would still be him. Because Jaemin turned Jeno down. Because Jaemin didn’t want him.

Mark felt this too.

Because although getting closer to Renjun meant his own feelings would only grow, he accepted it, too. Renjun loves Jeno.

Even if Mark loves Renjun, Renjun only loves Jeno.


	2. Chapter 2

_Present day_

“Renjun…” Mark calls.

The boy, who seemed immersed in his studies, looks up at him questioningly, beckoning him to say what he wanted.

“Why do you choose to stay?”

Renjun frowns, like he doesn’t understand the question or where it’s coming from. Mark clarifies.

“Why do you stay in this relationship when you’re always feeling like this?”

Renjun seemed to take offense at the question first, then the creases in his brows relax, “I love him, hyung.”

Mark wants to say a lot of things. He does. But Renjun looked so tiny then, like a turtle retreating to its shell, a little kid pulling up the blankets.

He knows he should be more assertive and aid Renjun out of this predicament, knowing all he knows and understands, but he couldn’t bear to do it to Renjun.

The boy is clinging on a sliver of hope. How could Jeno choose to leave Renjun this way?

The next time he sees Renjun is in class. The boy always acts like he’s fine with everything. He always plows on like he’s okay.

But for weeks now, Mark’s known better, so he sees it in another way.

It’s not strength he sees, but rather, desperation. Like Renjun is holding on to something that can so easily be shattered.

Renjun and Jaemin take their seats at the sound of the class’s applause. They did well on their report. Familiarly, Mark knew all those slides as the ones Renjun made the previous night, in his room. Only Renjun deserved the applause.

The four of them passed to the same college. He and Renjun happened to share the same program in music. Jeno and Jaemin were enrolled in sports. But they shared these electives here and there, so they still met up often.

Jaemin, ever the friendly one, took to college parties well, dragging Jeno along with him. Mark had to take on part-time jobs to support himself in a way to help his parents, while Renjun flourished in maintaining his scholarship and many educational grants.

They led very different lives now, and yet they were still a solid group of friends. Haechan and Yangyang both took gap years but they still connected with them.

The four of them chose to rent an off-campus apartment together at first, and it worked well, too. But Renjun’s many academic responsibilities led him to moving to a dorm on-campus, and Mark’s gigs sometimes took him many places, he had to move, too.

This left just Jeno and Jaemin living together, and Mark knew from the beginning it would be a disaster.

Mark was always biased toward Renjun. It’s not because of his feelings. Well, not all.

It was because in this point of their lives, Mark always found Renjun with the shorter end of the stick.

Renjun and Jeno were still in a relationship, and whenever together, Mark had no doubts they were for each other. But every time Jeno leaves, Renjun just seemed so lost.

One time, the boy told him it was because he was worried. About what, the boy didn’t explain.

But by now, Mark needed no explaining from the other. He now knew him too well.

Renjun still worried over the same thing – that Jeno would choose Jaemin again.

It didn’t help that the two remained the closest of friends, that wherever one was, you can expect the other.

They were popular on campus, too. Campus heartthrobs, some called them. Mark was called one too. Renjun everyone adored, and yet the crowd always had no clue. It was Renjun that Jeno was dating. But everyone suspected otherwise. It was Jaemin that Jeno kept following around.

This is what bothered Mark the most. Because on one hand, he knew Renjun kept on hurting due to it, on the other, he knew the two would not easily drift apart.

For days, weeks and months, this went on…until one of them truly broke.

Mark sees them, right across the street.

He sees them just as Jeno arrived. He sees how delighted Renjun looks.

He sees Jeno embracing him, kissing his cheek.

Then he sees the taller changing his demeanour, taking his phone out of his pocket.

He takes a call and Renjun's expression changes to that forced smile.

Jeno frowns. The call ends.

They're talking.

Jeno leans in to whisper into Renjun's ear and the latter beams that fake smile of his again.

He adds a nod to it, and then Jeno's leaving.

Renjun watches the boy as he runs. When he looks to the road to cross, Mark can see sadness take over his features.

The fragile-looking boy crosses the road together with the other people, but slower.

The pedestrians block Mark's view, but he knows Renjun is crying.

He walks toward him.

He meets Renjun at the middle of the crossing, taking the boy's hand, firm, yet gentle.

It’s a reassurance.

_I'm here_.

They get to Mark's side of the road.

Renjun looks up in confusion, but as he sees the sympathetic look in Mark's eyes, he realizes it.

Mark saw.

He knows.

And Renjun breaks.

Right then and there, Mark hugs him.

_I'm here. For you_.

_I've been here all along._

_I'll always be here._

_I can be anywhere with you, for you_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops. okay i know what i said...
> 
> but yeah this isn't done yet
> 
> imma try to tonight though...but here's a bit for now


	3. Chapter 3

It turns out Jaemin fell down the stairs in some dormitory on his way to that night’s female companion’s room. The girl ended up calling Jeno, their common friend, that day that Mark saw him at the intersection.

  
Jaemin did end up with a cast, and Jeno took it upon himself to assist him in the daily, resulting in him not meeting Renjun for some time. He called, texted, awfully unaware of what Renjun went through.

  
But as two weeks passed Mark did find himself being asked by Jeno at campus one day.

  
“Hyung,” the younger called out. Mark was sitting by some benches when the other approached. Jeno took a seat beside him. “Have you talked to Renjun, hyung? I haven’t been able to reach him. I also haven’t seen him for more than a week now, is he okay?”

  
Mark had much to say, in his mind, as it wasn’t his place. “Yeah, Renjun’s fine. Haven’t you talked to him? Is there a problem?”

  
Jeno looks confused at this. “Why would there be a problem, hyung?”

  
“Uhh…” Mark backtracks, “you mentioned that you haven’t reached him and haven’t seen him for more than a week, right? I just thought, you know?”

  
Jeno stills, almost like he’s realized the implication of things, how this would look to others. “Do you think he’s avoiding me?”

  
And Jeno looks so shocked and worried at this that it pains Mark to know so much, and yet be unable to act upon it. It isn’t in his nature. He is protective, but he also knows that sometimes, butting in would be more hurtful and traitorous than being diplomatic. And he would hate for Renjun to see him as that.

  
“Look, Jen, he’s with me at my apartment sometimes, to study. It’s not a regular thing, but he just comes when he’s…I don’t know, lost? So, just…I’ll tell you when he reaches out to me, okay?”

  
Jeno sighs like he has no choice. Mark knows his friend has questions. With what he just said and with what is happening to Renjun. But between that, taking care of Jaemin, and school, Mark knows Jeno would rather keep it in for now.

  
The latter stands and collects his things. But he looks up at Mark again, pleading, “You’ll tell me if he says anything, hyung, right?” Jeno looks like he doesn’t even trust he will get what he’s asking for.

  
“Please, Mark hyung. I can’t lose him.”

  
As Jeno leaves, Mark feels his chest constrict. He does know Jeno loves Renjun. He sees it, has seen it, but he also can’t help but question Jeno’s actions toward Jaemin.

  
And he’s witnessed how those same actions keep tearing at Renjun.

  
One moment, he looks like everything was well, as Jeno sits beside him, as they spend time together, and then the next moment, when Jaemin appears and Jeno all but abandons him to fuss over the newcomer, he sees as Renjun breaks.

  
Always, the boy catches Mark looking at him.

  
Always, the boy just smiles.

  
_I’m okay, hyung. This is okay._

  
But Mark has seen as that smile got sadder and sadder, each time. He’s seen how the brightness in the boy falters.

  
And it hurts him.

  
It hurts him, because he wants to give the boy the love he so deserved. A love where he’s always number one. But the boy would never want that from him. And so he holds himself back. Even if it hurts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the last chapter will be up in a few hours.


	4. Chapter 4

Renjun’s papers are strewn across his small coffee table. The boy has asked to study at his place again.

Mark hadn’t told Jeno yet.

He feels like he wants these small moments to himself.

But Mark is a good friend. He also wants happiness for the one he loves. So even if it hurts him in the end, he’s decided to just help love find its way back to the boy.

“Renjun.”

The boy looks up. The glasses perched on his nose, his disheveled hair, the too big sweater on him, and the soft light from the setting sun that streams from the window make him look soft. Small, vulnerable.

Mark longed for Renjun to look at him the way he looks at Jeno. But he knows it won’t ever be. Renjun’s too in love with Jeno for that to happen. When he learned what Renjun had been feeling for so long, he wanted for the boy to turn to him.

The boy did. But as a friend he trusted and not as a different lover. Mark can’t break Renjun’s trust. If he can’t be with Renjun as a lover, then he’d be there for him as his friend.

“Jeno’s been asking about you.”

Renjun bites his lower lip in worry.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t told him anything…deep.”

“Thank you, hyung.” Renjun turns again to his papers, wanting for this conversation to be over for now.

“I did tell him you’ve been here some times. I told him I’d tell him when you’d be here so he can talk to you. He says you’ve been avoiding him.”

Renjun breathes in deep. “I don’t think I’m ready to tell him about this, hyung. I don’t think I can.” He puts down his pen, his glasses.

Mark now sees tears brimming Renjun’s eyes without the glasses. “I’m scared, hyung. What if he leaves me when he finds out? What if he hates me for wanting more of his time? What if…what if...”

Now the tears fall.

“What if he chooses Jaemin over me?”

Mark can’t help but take Renjun in his arms, rubbing his back and whispering reassurances in his ear.

“Jeno loves you, Junnie. He does. I, too, don’t understand what it is with him and fussing over Jaemin but he loves you, Jun. I know it.”

Because Mark does know. He saw it as Jeno chased Renjun in high school. He saw it every time the two were together.

He saw it the last time they talked, as Jeno looked so pitifully confused and scared.

“He loves you. Please know that.”

If only it was Jeno himself who was saying it.

So as Renjun calms down, and Mark lets him sleep it off on his couch, he picks up his phone and calls a number.

Mark shakes Renjun gently to rouse him. It’s nighttime now. The boy slowly gets up and mumbles a small thanks to Mark. Then he looks around and sees the other person in the room, standing by the closed door, looking miserable and worried.

“I’ll be at the balcony, okay?” Mark whispers to Renjun. He ruffles the boy’s hair, patting down to his nape. “You’ll be okay.”

Mark knows as he heads to the balcony, that what he did wasn’t normal, but he wanted to assure Renjun as much as he could.

Now it’s not like the balcony is that far, nor is the glass thick enough to stop him from listening in. Mark just wanted to give them some semblance of privacy.

It’s Jeno who starts it after some time. Mark tries not to look inside, but he can’t help but listen.

“Are you okay, Renjunnie?” It’s said so softly, Jeno sounds vulnerable himself.

It takes some time for Renjun to reply. Mark knows if the boy could, he would avoid this talk forever. Renjun would choose to bury this and carry on if that meant he could stay with Jeno. But Mark knows that he’s a smart kid. He knows that Renjun has already figured out that if their relationship was to be true, they’d have to talk about everything.

“I’m not.”

He hears sobbing and then some shuffling and he knows its Jeno taking Renjun in his embrace as the latter cries.

Just like what he did a few hours before. But even though he isn’t looking, he knows this time, Renjun will be hugging back.

Because no matter how hurt Renjun is because of Jeno, it’s always still him he wants to be protecting him.

“What did I do Renjun, please, tell me…how am I hurting you?”

But Renjun stays sobbing. Mark himself cannot think of any way to bring it up if he was in Renjun’s shoes. But he’s going to have to, if he wants Jeno to understand.

“It’s not you Jeno…I mean…I don’t know…”

“Was it because I ended up missing our date?”

“Hah…” Renjun sounds in disbelief.

Mark dares to look inside. Renjun is removing himself from Jeno, rubbing his cheeks and eyes. He breathes in deep and his face starts to look unemotional, his eyes empty.

“I love you Jeno.”

Jeno is facing away from the balcony so Mark can’t see his expression but he knows, the other must also be feeling the same as him, shocked. This is a new side to Renjun. One that doesn’t shine. One that’s given up.

Mark looks away from the sight.

“Tell me, do you love me?”

“Of course, Renjunnie. You know I do.”

A sigh. “Then how do you feel about Jaemin?” There’s a slight hiccup.

The room is silent for a while before Jeno speaks.

“Is this about that?”

“Answer me, Jeno.”

“Renjun –”

“Say it.”

“I…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I added a chapter, and increased the total chapters...for the last time, I promise
> 
> I'm also currently working on two of my other Noren fics so you can look forward to that, too, I guess
> 
> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello.
> 
> So, this is a collection of left-over material from another work I'm currently writing. The bits and pieces kind of were able to be their own story once put up together and I didn't want to waste those little notes from moments that inspire me to write.
> 
> This is part one of two. I just need to fit everything else into the story but I also need my sleep as I have work tomorrow.
> 
> I swear part two will be up by tomorrow. (edit: part two is up but part three will be coming =))
> 
> So...thank you for reading.
> 
> Yeah.
> 
> Good night!


End file.
